Sokomoto/IAVIIAVI is committed to ensuring that when HIV vaccines become available, they will be accessible and affordable to people in developing countries. The organization typically requires its partners in research and development to agree to a framework for affordability and availability that will ensure global access to future HIV vaccines.

Global preventive AIDS vaccine R&D investment totaled US$818 million in 2013, with the public sector providing US$666 million (81%), the philanthropic sector providing US$121 million (15%), and the commercial sector contributing US$31 million (4%). The 2013 total investment represents a decrease of US$29 million (4%) below global preventive AIDS vaccine R&D investment in 2012.

The United States government remained by far the largest investor in AIDS vaccines, providing US$585 million in 2013, even though total U.S. government funding decreased by US$38 million from 2012, driven by mandated across-the-board federal budget cuts. Funding from European public sector agencies totaled US$44 million, after reductions of almost US$8 million (15%) from 2012. Funding from philanthropic supporters for AIDS vaccines grew by around US$10 million dollars (approximately 10%) from 2012 to 2013. Meanwhile, estimated commercial funding in 2012 remained relatively flat at US$31 million.

The AIDS vaccine field has produced an abundance of promising data in recent years. However, given the long-term nature of AIDS vaccine development, its continued progress will require flexible and sustained investments in research and development.

The Scripps Research CenterDevising a vaccine that can elicit effective antibodies against HIV remains one of the greatest challenges of modern science. This is because HIV changes its genetic makeup (mutates) so fast that it continuously evades targeting by the immune response.